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Friday, June 05, 2009

My First School

The first piece read out at the recent Transition Year English Evening, from the pupils' Work Portfolios this year, was Susannah Cooke's 'My First School', originally written as an exam essay, and then reworked. Praised by guest Garrett Fagan for its precise focus on the texture of reality, it is a touching and funny recollection of the importances of primary school life:-

In summer months we were able to go and play on the grass, though only if it was a dry day. It was these months that I got a reputation for eating woodlice and liking worms. I would often pick them up stranded worms and fling them at anybody, this provided me with entertainment, but I don’t think they liked it.

Being top of the school was a new experience. You know everybody’s name, and they knew you. I had my eleven plus that year, and remembering doing hardly any work compared to my friends. On the day of the exam they all had their lucky charms, from necklaces to coins. I didn’t have anything, and feeling rather left out I went outside and picked a daisy. That would become my lucky flower.